Review: ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at W.E. Barefoot Auditorium
Dara Lyon Warner
Oy, vey! Schlep yourself to Mushnik’s Skid Row Florist, and spend some time with Seymour, Audrey, Tooey, and a creepifyingly sinister Orin—both abusive boyfriend and sadistic dentist—for this engaging production of “Little Shop of Horrors”!
Director Hayden Tyler effectively incorporates the assignment of multiple roles for Betty Wheeler throughout the show, from our first glimpse of the rundown neighborhood where we first meet Audrey II/”Tooey,” through the height of the clamor for Seymour’s time, in the second act. Meanwhile, Audrey--a/k/a “Audrey I” (Hannah Marks)—reaches into our souls and brings us to tears with her powerful, yet heartbreakingly poignant rendition of “Somewhere That’s Green.”
As gut-wrenchingly terrorizing as Christopher MacDow is, in his primary role as Orin, he is equally comical in his additional role, as the female editor of Life magazine. Every time Chris appears on stage, he OWNS the stage, whether swaggering in a leather jacket or strutting in heels. While attempting to extract a tooth from Seymour (whom Gregory Hill convincingly portrays as an endearing goofball), Orin flaunts a bit of genius from costume designer Janet Wilson: You’ll have to see the show to witness how clever this is!
Last, yet far from least, Troy Jelley’s rendition of “Mushnik and Son,” in the role of Mushnik himself, is nothing short of gevaldig—and that comes from someone else who can hold a note for an extended number of measures!
Anyone who has worked in community theater, on or off the stage, knows that every venue has its own challenges. In this case, there is a line-of-sight issue from some seats, which presented a mild distraction from the magic. Other issues experienced included some slightly awkward moments in maneuvering the intermediate-sized Audrey II, when the operator was too visible here and there. A few atonal harmonies popped up at intervals, as did the occasional spot where an actor clearly forgot part of a line, or gave a weak delivery. That said, this was a rehearsal, and audience energy improves performances like you would not believe, unless you had experienced it. Most actors and directors prefer getting the glitches out of the way at a rehearsal, versus a performance.
Tucked away in the Benson Town Hall, the W.E. Barefoot Auditorium itself has an intimate feeling, yet seemsparadoxically spacious. It seats just over 325 people, with about a third of that total in the balcony. Take my advice: Occupy one of those seats yourself, and bring a friend…or five. Every bit worth the ticket price, and more!